"What can I get ya Missy?" said a creepy looking man with an earring in his ear. Panic swept through Lizzie when she looked in his dark menacing eyes but she thought of her father and Cornelia and she straightened up and said, "Just water." She was more parched than anything and had lost her appetite once she entered the pub. Just then someone slid onto the stool next to her. Lizzie looked over to see it was a boy about her age.
"First time at the Snuggly Duckling huh? Don't worry, nothing here will make you sick except for the meat surprise." Then he called over to the bartender. "Hey Rick, get this girl something to eat. Just not the meatloaf surprise." Then he looked back at Lizzie "By the way I'm Ben. You?" Lizzie looked back at the boy. He seemed nice enough. He was tall with soft blue eyes, brown scruffy hair, and a slight beard.
"Ummm... Lizzie and thank you but I don't have any money to pay for that."
"Nonsense," he said. "My treat. So you're not from around here are you?"
"How could you tell?" Lizzie said with an edge to her voice.
"Well let's see. Everyone in Corona knows that if you want quality food you don't come to The Snuggly Duckling. Typically the only people who come out here are thugs hiding from the law and travelers who don't know better. So where ya from?"
Lizzie could not believe this boy was talking to her like that but then she remembered she wasn't a princess here.
"Andalasia." she replied. It was a good enough answer right? The bartender came by and placed a salad in front of Lizzie. It wasn't the best meal Lizzie had in her life but Lizzie enjoyed talking to Ben. He was funny and interesting but most importantly he was kind and sweet.
"You know what Lizzie? I want to take you to town."
"Alright," Lizzie smiled. She couldn't think of anything else she would rather do. So Ben took Lizzie to Corona. It was the most fun time she had ever had. Ben took her to all the local shops and showed Lizzie all Corona. They finished the day with a boat ride to the coast for a picnic. Lizzie couldn't remember the last time she had felt this happy; and then she did. It was the last time she had been riding with her father and she remembered why she had come to Corona. It was not for a fairytale romance it was to save her father.
Ben looked up at her face sadly. "What's wrong he asked?"
"Nothing. Today has been wonderful, but I came here to save my father. I know this is going to sound stupid but I came here to look for this-"
"Magic flower."
"Yes." She replied shocked. "How did you know?"
"It's our most famous story here. Everyone tries to find it but no one has ever been successful. It's impossible to find."
"My grandfather found it once many years ago. He left us a map and that's what I was going to look for it with." Ben looked up excitedly and said "What are we waiting for then?!" He stood up and reached his hand out to Lizzie and took it with a huge grin on her face.
